Is Lamu good for growing Dolichos?

Lamu County scores 0/100 for Dolichos suitability (poor). Soil pH is 6.31 against a preferred 5–7.5, nitrogen 0.74 g/kg and phosphorus 9.6 mg/kg. County rainfall is 600 mm/year against Dolichos's 400–1000 mm range. Soil amendments or irrigation may be needed before planting Dolichos.

What fertilizer is best for Dolichos in Lamu?

Base the plan on Lamu's soil: pH 6.31, nitrogen 0.74 g/kg and phosphorus 9.6 mg/kg. Get an exact bag-per-acre basal and top-dressing schedule free at https://shambaiq.com/app.

What soil pH does Dolichos need, and does Lamu have it?

Dolichos grows best at pH 5–7.5. Lamu averages pH 6.31, which is within that range.

How much can I earn from Dolichos per acre in Lamu?

At roughly KES 120/kg and an expected 600 kg/acre, gross revenue is about KES 72,000 per acre before input costs. Use the ShambaIQ budget tool for a net figure based on your fertilizer plan.

Growing Dolichos in Lamu

Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Generally not ideal — Lamu is poorly suited to Dolichos. Lamu's soil (pH 6.31, slightly acidic) gives Dolichos a suitability score of 0/100. Match fertilizer to Lamu's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Lamu County is a challenging environment for Dolichos (soil-match score 0/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Dolichos prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.74 g/kg), phosphorus (9.6 mg/kg) and potassium (117 mg/kg) all meet Dolichos's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Dolichos, which favours sandy loam. At 10 m, the county sits below Dolichos's preferred altitude range (1000–2100 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Dolichos is the #83 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Lamu County. Dolichos's full potential is about 600 kg/acre (~KES 72,000/acre at KES 120/kg), but at Lamu's 0/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 0 kg/acre (~KES 0/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Lamu's soil: Sesame (Simsim), Sorghum, and Cowpeas — each scores higher on the same soil.

Suitability score

Soil & climate match

Factor	Lamu soil	Dolichos needs	Status
pH	6.31	5–7.5	OK
Nitrogen	0.74 g/kg	min 0.5 g/kg	OK
Phosphorus	9.6 mg/kg	min 6 mg/kg	OK
Potassium	117 mg/kg	min 100 mg/kg	OK
Rainfall	600 mm	400–1,000 mm	OK
Altitude	10 m	1,000–2,100 m	Low

Planting calendar for Lamu

Long Rains· April–JuneMain season here

April

Sowing & DAP Basal Fertilizer (NO CAN — nitrogen fixer)

May

Weeding & Vine Support if needed

June

Pod Fill & Harvesting

Short Rains· November–January

November

Sowing & Basal Fertilizer (no CAN)

December

Weeding & Pest Scouting

January

Harvesting & Seed Drying

Dry Season· February–April

February

Post-Harvest seed storage

March

Land Resting (N benefit remains in soil)

April

Seed Selection & preparation

Top dressing guide

Product

None

Timing

None required

Instruction

Dolichos (njahi) fixes its own nitrogen through rhizobia. Do NOT apply CAN — it suppresses nodulation and reduces yield. A starter dose of phosphorus at planting is enough.

Bags per acre in Lamu

Lamu's nitrogen reads 0.74 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Dolichos is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.

Seed varieties for Lamu

Varieties suited to Lamu's 10 m altitude and 600 mm annual rainfall — 4 of 6 dolichos varieties we list.

DL 1002Dryland/Medium

KALRO · 90-110 days · 7-11 bags/acre

Improved dual-purpose lablab; grain and fodder; tolerant to drought and low fertility.

ELDO-KT Black 1Medium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 135-150 days · 14-22 bags/acre

Black seeded; short cooking time; uniform maturity.

ELDO-KT CreamMedium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 120-135 days · 16-25 bags/acre

Cream seeded; early maturity; good flavor; short cooking time.

ELDO-KT Black 2Medium/Highland 10-2000m

University of Eldoret · 120-135 days · 16-29 bags/acre

Black seeded; medium maturity; robust growth.

Economics

Market priceKES 120/kg

Expected yield in Lamu0 kg/acre

Estimated revenueKES 0/acre

Adjusted for Lamu's 0/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Dolichos can reach 600 kg/acre (~KES 72,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureSandy Loam

Fertilizer prices

DAP

KES 3,500(6,500)

CAN

KES 2,875(5,700)

NPK 17:17:17

KES 3,275(5,600)

Urea

KES 3,500(5,500)

Lime

KES 1,500(1,800)

Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag

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